As useful as lens filters are, many of them are limited to specific genres or styles of photography. But if there’s one filter that supersedes genre boundaries enough that nearly every photographer should try one, it’s the circular polarizing filter.
Circular polarizing filters, or CPLs, allow photographers and videographers to control reflected light, a bit like polarized sun glasses. Turning the CPL’s ring and watching the reflections off water and windows shift feels a bit magical, even though what’s really at work is optical trickery.
CPLs allow creators to reduce and sometimes even enhance reflections by adjusting polarized light. A small ring built into the filter allows photographers to control the reflection. With a CPL, I can take landscape shots where viewers can see through the water, or portraits taken through a window without insufferable glare. While polarizers are best known for removing glare, sometimes rotating the filter in the opposite direction can help strengthen the reflections instead.
While the reason that I usually dig out my CPL is to play with reflections, the ability to control reflected light has a few other perks. CPL filters can help reduce haze, making skies appear bluer. CPLs even reduce glare off smaller things like the sun bouncing off green leaves, which can increase the saturation on green foliage.
CPLs are one of my favorite filters – if I could only put one filter in my bag, it would be a CPL. In fact, I think CPLs are one of the filters that are useful across multiple genres. I use one as a portrait and wedding photographer to play with reflections, but they’re also excellent for landscapes, travel, and even street photography.
But, as many benefits that CPLs have, there are a few disadvantages to be aware of. CPL lenses will only darken part of the sky when using a wide-angle lens, so these filters are best paired with slightly longer focal lengths.
CPLs cut out polarized light, which means there’s less light overall coming through the lens. That’s why a CPL doesn’t live permanently on my camera lens – I need to use a wider aperture, higher ISO or slower shutter speed, so when I’m indoors in an area without reflections, using a CPL tends to do more bad than good.
Photographers new to CPLs should also note that the results will also depend on the angle that the reflected light is coming from – CPLs work best when the light is hitting the surface at a 90-degree angle, so during certain times of day, the effect may not be as strong, no matter how much you turn the filter. They also don't work on mirrors or metal.
Polarizing filters have long been known as one of the filters that couldn’t be replicated with photo editing software. Generative AI is beginning to change this, like in Photoshop’s beta reflection removal tool, but I find twisting a CPL to get it right in camera is far faster than trying to correct the reflections later.
The long list of uses for CPL filters, however, means it is often one of the pricier filter types. But picking up a CPL filter doesn’t have to mean dropping $100 on a filter.
Right now, Hoya’s affordable CPL filter line is part of B&H’s one-day-only deal zone on July 31, a discount that knocks as much as 50 percent off the cost. These CPL filters aren’t as high-end as the Hoya HD Nano Mark II option, but average a 4.5-star user rating, with the biggest complaint being that the filters are hard to use with lens hoods.
B&H's Hoya CPL filter deal expires just before midnight on July 31.
Deal expired? The Tiffen Circular Polarizing Filter sits on our guide to the best polarizing filters, and some sizes also retail for under $30.
You may also like
For more details, read up on what a circular polarizing filter is, or how to use a polarizer to cut through reflections.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
